Square 'Bird Sculpture

from Hemmings Classic Car

When it comes to American automotive icons, the hands-down winner has got to be the Corvette. Now in its 57th year of production, the Corvette has literally millions of enthusiasts and fanatical followers the world over, and it is solely responsible for the creation of more aftermarket parts and accessory companies, car clubs and dedicated magazines and websites than any other car. If ever there was a symbol of automotive freedom and speed, it must be the Corvette; through the years, Corvettes have expressed those ideals more than any other vehicle, and continue to do so today.
Mustang and Camaro, the other two most popular model car brands ever created, have spawned sizable cottage industries all their own. Thus, they, too, are considered automotive icons. And I would have to say that the Thunderbird is just as iconic, especially the small, early 'Bird, the one that is often used as the poster child to celebrate America's happy days of Fifties family fun.
Old Thunderbirds are among my favorite cars of all time, thanks to their fantastic styling, cutting-edge design and all-around inviting characteristics, which are as distinctive as they come. Yet as much as I appreciate the little 'Birds of 1955-'57, they never really did much for me personally--that is, until I saw a black '57 model fitted with blackwalls on American Torq-Thrusts. Talk about transforming a car from pretty little thing into a menacing street fighter--who would have thought a simple tire and wheel change could make such a difference?
Now that's the tough expression that I like, and should an early 'Bird ever find its way into my garage, that's how it's going to look--except mine will be refinished in a rich navy blue with an interior covered in red leather, lowered slightly, with a solid lifter cam and dual Smittys out back for a little music; it will most probably be the smaller '55 model. All else will remain the same. Oh, and a Sun tach will be strapped to the steering column.
The jet-age inspired look of the 1961-'63 "bullet 'Birds" remains quite radical even today. I mean, who in their right mind doesn't still go "Wow!" whenever the back end of one of these dramatic machines comes into view? The 1964-'66 models are equally stylish in their own way, especially the Landau versions with their little extra dash of classiness.
And unlike many enthusiasts, I sincerely believe that the 1967-'69 Thunderbirds are, without question, matchless in their styling, as unique as any car ever made. I've wanted to own one ever since I first saw a brand-new gold four-door model parked on the streets in Brooklyn back in 1967, and still hope to someday.
But my all-time favorite Thunderbird has always been the "square" 'Bird. For some reason, these cars push my buttons like few other cars can. Perhaps it's because Detroit's class of '58 is one of my favorites in terms of styling. The cars were lower and wider, and their idiosyncratic four-headlamp front ends gave them a distinguished appeal, something few other model years can ever hope to achieve. And right in the midst of these restyled gems sat the new four-seat Thunderbird.
In order to truly appreciate what the 1958-'60 Thunderbirds are all about, you have to stand back and look at them as individual models; don't compare them to the cute early 'Birds or the sleeker Sixties models. They're their own nationality, endowed with inimitable shapes and exclusive design elements not seen on any other car of the era.
While the shape of the Square 'Birds may appear from some angles to be a little bulky and somewhat awkward, once you get beyond that and start seeing all the not-so-subtle styling contours as their own objects, you will quickly appreciate these cars as sculptural masterpieces of Fifties Detroit design.
Any of the three Square 'Birds would be a joy to own; however, it's the 1960 model, with its three-taillamp rear, that's on my top 10 list of must-have cars. In fact, the very car featured on page 20, which I had the pleasure to drive last June, is the ideal combination, the perfect colors. For me, it doesn't get much better than that.

This article originally appeared in the February, 2011 issue of Hemmings Classic Car.